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The Capri-sun like foil cartons are drank in abundance in the country and the empty packs are often discarded on streets and strewn across cemeteries.

She said: "I found that in the Philippines, there are rich and there are poor people. There are very few in-between. There is an endless circle of poverty over there. Very often up to one-third of their small wage goes on transport costs.

"Children do not go to school consistently. They often miss days so they can go to work to help their families. I wanted to do something for long-term poverty intervention.

"I wanted to be able to give women jobs so they could work from home and send their children to school out of their own money."

She continued: "There are thousands of brands of juice sold in foil packets over there. People drink them like we drink tea.

"At funerals in the Philippines, it is usual to give mourners a juice pack and some snacks at the graveside. Solid waste management is still under development and so cemeteries are sometimes littered with discarded cartons.

"Also, if you visit someone in hospital, it's customary to offer the visitor a juice pack at their bedside.

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"Our women collect these empty packs from the hospital and funeral homes. Then they sew them together and put a trim on the edging to make the bags"

Helen, who stays with her sister Margaret in Athboy, Co Meath on her trips home, now hopes to expand the operation to sell the bags in Ireland with proceeds going back to create more employment in the Philippines.

"At the minute the women make up to 2,000 bags a year. There are 30 bags in the range which are priced from €3 to €56."

Home until the end of the year, Helen has been invited to talk to a number of community groups about the WOW project and her life in the Philippines and hopes to source markets where she can sell the bags here.

Anyone who would like further information can contact Helen at recyclejuicepack@hotmail.com.